Electron Donor Substrates Research Articles

Microbial Community Analysis Provides Insights into the Effects of Tetrahydrofuran on 1,4-Dioxane Biodegradation.

Tetrahydrofuran (THF) is known to induce the biodegradation of 1,4-dioxane (dioxane), an emerging contaminant, but the mechanisms by which THF affects dioxane biodegradation in microbial communities are not well understood. To fill this knowledge gap, changes in the microbial community structure in microcosm experiments with synthetic medium and landfill leachate were examined over time using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and functional gene quantitative PCR assays. The overarching hypothesis being tested was that THF promoted dioxane biodegradation by increasing the abundance of dioxane-degrading bacteria in the consortium. The data revealed that in experiments with synthetic medium, the addition of THF significantly increased the abundance of Pseudonocardia, a genus with several representatives that can grow on both dioxane and THF, and of Rhodococcus ruber, a species that can use THF as the primary growth substrate while cometabolizing dioxane. However, in similar experiments with landfill leachate, only R. ruber was significantly enriched. When the THF concentration was higher than the dioxane concentration, THF competitively inhibited dioxane degradation since dioxane degradation was negligible, while the dioxane-degrading bacteria and the corresponding THF/dioxane monooxygenase gene copies increased by a few orders of magnitude.IMPORTANCE Widespread in groundwater and carcinogenic to humans, 1,4-dioxane (dioxane) is attracting significant attention in recent years. Advanced oxidation processes can effectively remove dioxane but require high energy consumption and operation costs. Biological removal of dioxane is of particular interest due to the ability of some bacteria to mineralize dioxane at a low energy cost. Although dioxane is generally considered recalcitrant to biodegradation, more than 20 types of bacteria can degrade dioxane as the sole electron donor substrate or the secondary electron donor substrate. In the latter case, tetrahydrofuran (THF) is commonly studied as the primary electron donor substrate. Previous work has shown that THF promotes dioxane degradation at a low THF concentration but inhibits dioxane degradation at a high THF concentration. Our work expanded on the previous work by mechanically examining the effects of THF on dioxane degradation in a microbial community context.

Electron-acceptor loadings affect chloroform dechlorination in a hydrogen-based membrane biofilm reactor.

Chloroform (CF) can undergo reductive dechlorination to dichloromethane, chloromethane, and methane. However, competition for hydrogen (H2 ), the electron-donor substrate, may cause poor dechlorination when multiple electron acceptors are present. Common acceptors in anaerobic environments are nitrate (NO3- ), sulfate (SO42- ), and bicarbonate (HCO3- ). We evaluated CF dechlorination in the presence of HCO3- at 1.56 e- Eq/m2 -day, then NO3- at 0.04-0.15 e- Eq/m2 -day, and finally NO3- (0.04 e- Eq/m2 -day) along with SO42- at 0.33 e- Eq/m2 -day in an H2 -based membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR). When the biofilm was initiated with CF-dechlorination conditions (no NO3- or SO42- ), it yielded a CF flux of 0.14 e- Eq/m2 -day and acetate production via homoacetogenesis up to 0.26 e- eq/m2 -day. Subsequent addition of NO3- at 0.05 e- Eq/m2 -day maintained full CF dechlorination and homoacetogenesis, but NO3- input at 0.15 e- Eq/m2 -day caused CF to remain in the reactor's effluent and led to negligible acetate production. The addition of SO42- did not affect CF reduction, but SO42- reduction significantly altered the microbial community by introducing sulfate-reducing Desulfovibrio and more sulfur-oxidizing Arcobacter. Dechloromonas appeared to carry out CF dechlorination and denitrification, whereas Acetobacterium (homoacetogen)may have been involved with hydrolytic dechlorination. Modifications to the electron acceptors fed to theMBfR caused the microbial community to undergo changes in structure that reflected changes in the removal fluxes.

Hydrogenotrophic Microbial Reduction of Oxyanions With the Membrane Biofilm Reactor.

Oxyanions, such as nitrate, perchlorate, selenate, and chromate are commonly occurring contaminants in groundwater, as well as municipal, industrial, and mining wastewaters. Microorganism-mediated reduction is an effective means to remove oxyanions from water by transforming oxyanions into harmless and/or immobilized forms. To carry out microbial reduction, bacteria require a source of electrons, called the electron-donor substrate. Compared to organic electron donors, H2 is not toxic, generates minimal secondary contamination, and can be readily obtained in a variety of ways at reasonable cost. However, the application of H2 through conventional delivery methods, such as bubbling, is untenable due to H2's low water solubility and combustibility. In this review, we describe the membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR), which is a technological breakthrough that makes H2 delivery to microorganisms efficient, reliable, and safe. The MBfR features non-porous gas-transfer membranes through which bubbleless H2 is delivered on-demand to a microbial biofilm that develops naturally on the outer surface of the membranes. The membranes serve as an active substratum for a microbial biofilm able to biologically reduce oxyanions in the water. We review the development of the MBfR technology from bench, to pilot, and to commercial scales, and we elucidate the mechanisms that control MBfR performance, particularly including methods for managing the biofilm's structure and function. We also give examples of MBfR performance for cases of treating single and co-occurring oxyanions in different types of contaminated water. In summary, the MBfR is an effective and reliable technology for removing oxyanion contaminants by accurately providing a biofilm with bubbleless H2 on demand. Controlling the H2 supply in accordance to oxyanion surface loading and managing the accumulation and activity of biofilm are the keys for process success.

Photocatalytic evolution of H2 from aqueous solutions of two-component electron-donor substrates in the presence of g-C3N4 activated by heat treatment in the KCl + LiCl melt

It has been shown that post-synthetic heat treatment of g-C3N4 in the melt of potassium and lithium salts leads to a significant increase of photocatalytic activity in the hydrogen formation from aqueous solutions of electron-donor compounds compared to the initial g-C3N4. This could be explained in terms of formation more crystalline graphitic carbon nitride (CGCN) with enhanced ability for absorption of higher amounts of visible light. Simultaneously, this treatment significantly decreases level of electron-hole recombination. It has been established that coincident use of two donors of different nature (organic acid and alcohol) with CGCN significantly increases rate of hydrogen formation. The possible explanation to this phenomenon could be find within acidic activation of CGCN. The influence of a number of factors on the efficiency of photocatalytic hydrogen production under visible light in systems based on the received carbon nitride has been investigated. The apparent quantum yields of the hydrogen evolution process with use of CGCN were determined as 23.6 and 5.6% at 405 and 435 nm, respectively.

Fe3O4@PEG core/shell nanoparticles as magnetic nanocatalyst for acetylation of amines and alcohols using ultrasound irradiations under solvent-free conditions

Ultrasound irradiation was used to prepare one-pot Fe3O4@PEG core/shell nanostructure for the first time. The morphology, structure, and physicochemical properties were specified by different analytical techniques including field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and vibrating sample magnetometer. For acetylation of phenols, alcohols, and amines, the synthesized Fe3O4@PEG core/shell nanoparticles were used as an efficient heterogeneous and green catalyst with acetic anhydride under sonication applying mild reaction conditions. Different electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substrates indicate a prominent yield of desired products with the merit of reusability of Fe3O4@PEG nanocatalyst and magnetic separation.

Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Under Visible Light Illumination in Systems Based on Graphitic Carbon Nitride

The state of the art in the area of photocatalytic systems derived from graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) for hydrogen evolution from aqueous solutions of electron-donating substrates as well as water splitting has been reviewed. The discussion is focused on various types of g-CN, namely, pristine g-CN, metal- and nonmetal-doped g-CN materials, g-CN modified by organic compounds, porous, exfoliated, dye-sensitized g-CN, spatially-organized structures and hybrid g-CN materials with various additives. The prospects for future research in this area are discussed.

Stimulation of Laccase Biocatalysis in Ionic Liquids: A Review on Recent Progress.

It has been well known that laccases can directly or indirectly catalyze oxidation of a broad species of phenols, amines and many other electron donor substrates. However, laccases as biocatalyst in "green" ionic liquids (ILs) media instead of conventional solvents are less known and regarded as an innovative research direction. The presence of ILs can either inhibit or stimulate laccase activity, strongly depending on water-miscibility and kosmotropic natures of ILs. In addition, enzyme source, mediator, pH as well as water content are very important factors which influence laccase activity and stability. Therefore, elucidation of mechanisms underlying the interactions between laccases and ILs will facilitate to screen ILs with excellent laccase compatibility. Strategies based on molecular evolution, enzyme immobilization and/or ILs modification greatly increase the tolerance of laccases against specific ILs. The use of ILs can spread the laccase applications in fields of biosynthesis, biodegradation, biosensor and biofuel cells. This article summarizes the recent progress, trends and problems in this field and focuses, in particular, on the stimulation of laccase activity in aqueous ILs media.

Microbial fuel cell powered by lipid extracted algae: A promising system for algal lipids and power generation

In this study, a promising microbial fuel cell (MFC) system has been developed, wherein algae is cultivated in the cathode chamber, algae biomass is harvested and lipids are extracted. The lipid extracted algal (LEA) biomass was then used asan electron donor substrate. The performance of MFCs fed with LEA biomass was compared with that of fruit waste fed MFCs (FP-MFCs), wherein LEA-fed MFC was superior in all aspects. Power density of 2.7Wm−3 was obtained by LEA-fed MFCs which is 145% and 260% higher than FP MFC and control MFC respectively. The volumetric algae productivity of 0.028kgm−3day−1 in cathode chamber was achieved. The system was able to generate 0.0136kWhKg−1CODday−1 of electric energy and 0.0782kWhm−3day−1 of algal oil energy. The proposed system is a net energy producer which does not rely heavily on the external supply of electron donor substrates.

Comparison of sequential with intimate coupling of photolysis and biodegradation for benzotriazole

Benzotriazole (BTA) is an emerging contaminant that also is a recalcitrant compound. Sequential and intimate coupling of UV-photolysis with biodegradation were investigated for their impacts on BTA removal and mineralization in aerobic batch experiments. Special attention was given to the role of its main photolytic products, which were aminophenol (AP), formic acid (FA), maleic acid (MA), and phenazine (PHZ). Experiments with sequential coupling showed that BTA biodegradation was accelerated by photolytic pretreatment up to 9 min, but BTA biodegradation was slowed with longer photolysis. FA and MA accelerated BTA biodegradation by being labile electron-donor substrates, but AP and PHZ slowed the rate because of inhibition due to their competition for intracellular electron donor. Because more AP and PHZ accumulated with increasing photolysis time, their inhibitory effects began to dominate with longer photolysis time. Intimately coupling photolysis with biodegradation relieved the inhibition effect, because AP and PHZ were quickly biodegraded and did not accumulate, which accentuated the beneficial effect of FA and MA.

Spectrophotometric Quantification of Peroxidase with p-Phenylene-diamine for Analyzing Peroxidase-Encapsulating Lipid Vesicles.

A spectrophotometric assay for the determination of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in aqueous solution with p-phenylenediamine (PPD, benzene-1,4-diamine) as electron donor substrate and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as oxidant was developed. The oxidation of PPD by HRP/H2O2 leads to the formation of Bandrowski's base ((3E,6E)-3,6-bis[(4-aminophenyl)imino]cyclohexa-1,4-diene-1,4-diamine), which can be quantified by following the increase in absorbance at 500 nm. The assay was applied for monitoring the activity of HRP inside ≈180 nm-sized lipid vesicles (liposomes), prepared from POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) and purified by size exclusion chromatography. Because of the high POPC bilayer permeability of PPD and H2O2, the HRP-catalyzed oxidation of PPD occurs inside the vesicles once PPD and H2O2 are added to the vesicle suspension. In contrast, if instead of PPD the bilayer-impermeable substrate ABTS2- (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate)) is used, the oxidation of ABTS2- inside the vesicles does not occur. Therefore, using PPD and ABTS2- in separate assays allows distinguishing between vesicle-trapped HRP and HRP in the external bulk solution. In this way, the storage stability of HRP-containing POPC vesicles was investigated in terms of HRP leakage and activity of entrapped HRP. It was found that pH 7.0 suspensions of POPC vesicles (2.2 mM POPC) containing on average about 12 HRP molecules per vesicle are stable for at least 1 month without any significant HRP leakage, if stored at 4 °C. Such high stability is beneficial not only for bioanalytical applications but also for exploring the kinetic properties of vesicle-entrapped HRP through simple spectrophotometric absorption measurements with PPD as a sensitive and cheap substrate.

Semiconductor Photocatalysis for Chemoselective Radical Coupling Reactions.

Photocatalysis at semiconductor surfaces is a growing field of general photocatalysis because of its importance for the chemical utilization of solar energy. By analogy with photoelectrochemistry the basic mechanism of semiconductor photocatalysis can be broken down into three steps: photogenerated formation of surface redox centers (electron-hole pairs), interfacial electron transfer from and to substrates (often coupled with proton-transfer), and conversion of primary redox intermediates into the products. Sun driven water cleavage and carbon dioxide fixation are still in the state of basic research whereas aerial degradation reactions of pollutants have reached practical application for the cleaning of air. In addition, a great variety of organic transformations (not syntheses) have been reported. They include cis-trans isomerizations, valence isomerizations, cycloaddition reactions, intramolecular or intermolecular C-N and C-C couplings, partial oxidations, and reductions. In all cases, well-known products were formed but very rarely also isolated. As compared to conventional homogeneous organic synthesis, the photocatalytic reaction mode is of no advantage, although the opposite is quite often claimed in the literature. It is also noted that a high quantum yield does not implicate a high product yield, since it is measured at very low substrate conversion in order to minimize secondary photoreactions. That is especially important in semiconductor photocatalysis since photocorrosion of the photocatalyst often prevents long-time irradiation, as is the case for colloidal metal sulfide semiconductors, which in general are photochemically too unstable to be used in synthesis. In this Account, we first classify the numerous organic photoreactions catalyzed by semiconductor powders. The classification is based on easily obtainable experimental facts, namely the nature of the light absorbing reaction component and the reaction stoichiometry. Next we discuss the problem of quantitative comparisons of photocatalytic activities or apparent quantum yields and propose a basic three-step mechanistic model. Finally, we address the question whether or not the unique photoredox properties of simple inorganic semiconductor powders may lead to previously unknown visible light induced organic syntheses. For that, we summarize novel radical C-C- and C-N- couplings photocatalyzed by self-prepared cadmium sulfide powders. Electron acceptor and donor substrates like imines or 1,2-diazenes, and cyclic olefins or unsaturated ethers, respectively, undergo a linear addition reaction. The hitherto unknown products have all been isolated in good to moderate yields and may be of pharmaceutical interest. In the first reaction step photogenerated electron-hole pairs produce through proton-coupled electron transfer the corresponding radicals. Their subsequent chemoselective heterocoupling affords the products, correlating with an insertion of the imine or 1,2-diazene into an allylic C(sp3)-H bond of the donor substrate. In the absence of an imine or 1,2-diazene, cyclic allyl/enol ethers are dehydrodimerized under concomitant hydrogen evolution. Even a visible light photosulfoxidation of alkanes is catalyzed by titania. In these heterogeneous photoredox reactions the role of the semiconductor photocatalyst is multifunctional. It induces favorable substrate preorientations in the surface-solvent layer, it catalyzes proton-coupled interfacial electron transfer to and from substrates generating intermediate radicals, and it enables their subsequent chemoselective coupling in the surface-solvent interface. Different from molecular photosensitizers, which enable only one one-electron transfer with one single substrate, photoexcited semiconductors induce two concerted one-electron transfer reactions with two substrates. This is because the light generated electron-hole pairs are trapped at distinct surface sites and undergo proton-coupled interfacial electron transfers with unsaturated donor and acceptor substrates. The radicals diffuse in a solid-solute-surface layer to undergo chemo- and stereoselective C-C and C-N bond formation. Thus, the semiconductor photocatalyst functions like an artificial leaf. Since several minerals are known to have semiconductor properties, solar photocatalysis may be also relevant for prebiotic and environmental chemistry.

Survival of Vinyl Chloride Respiring Dehalococcoides mccartyi under Long-Term Electron Donor Limitation.

In anoxic groundwater aquifers, the long-term survival of Dehalococcoides mccartyi populations expressing the gene vcrA (or bvcA) encoding reductive vinyl chloride dehalogenases are important to achieve complete dechlorination of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) to nonchlorinated ethene. The absence or inactivity of vcrA-containing Dehalococcoides results in the accumulation of the harmful chlorinated intermediates dichloroethene (DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC). Although vcrA-containing Dehalococcoides subpopulations depend on synergistic interaction with other organohalide-respiring populations generating their metabolic electron acceptors (DCE and VC), their survival requires successful competition for electron donor within the entire organohalide-respiring microbial community. To understand this dualism of synergy and competition under growth conditions relevant in contaminated aquifers, we investigated Dehalococcoides-level population structure when subjected to a change in the ratio of electron donor to chlorinated electron acceptor in continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) operated over 7 years. When the electron donor formate was supplied in stoichiometric excess to TCE, both tceA-containing and vcrA-containing Dehalococcoides populations persisted, and near-complete dechlorination to ethene was stably maintained. When the electron donor formate was supplied at substoichiometric concentrations, the interactions between tceA-containing and vcrA-containing populations shifted toward direct competition for the same limiting catabolic electron donor substrate with subsequent niche exclusion of the vcrA-containing population. After more than 2000 days of operation under electron donor limitation, increasing the electron donor to TCE ratio facilitated a recovery of the vcrA-containing Dehalococoides population to its original frequency. We demonstrate that electron donor scarcity alone, in the absence of competing metabolic processes or inhibitory dechlorination intermediate products, is sufficient to alter the Dehalococcoides population structure. These results underscore the importance of electron donor and chloroethene stoichiometry in maintaining balanced functional performance within consortia composed of multiple D. mccartyi subpopulations, even when other competing electron acceptor processes are absent.

A Comprehensive Review on Function and Application of Plant Peroxidases

Peroxidases, one of the key antioxidant enzymes, are widely distributed in nature and catalyze oxidation of various electron donor substrates concomitant with the decomposition of H2O2. The non-animal plant peroxidases (class III peroxidase) are involved in various essential physiological processes of plant growth and development throughout their life cycle. In view of the capability of peroxidases to catalyze the redox reaction for a wide range of substrates, they are considered as one of the important enzyme from the point of view of their various medicinal, biochemical, immunological, biotechnological and industrial applications. They have been successfully used for biopulping and biobleaching in the paper and textile industries. Peroxidases have also been used in organic synthesis, bioremediation, as well as various analytical applications in diagnostic kits, ELISA. Peroxidase based biosensors find application in analytical systems for determination of hydrogen peroxide, glucose, alcohols, glutamate, and choline etc. Thus, in view of array of physiological functions as well as industrial applications, the peroxidases have conquered a dominant position in research groups and become one of the most extensively studied enzymes. In this direction, the present review embodies the classification, mechanism of action, major physiological functions as well as industrial applications of plant peroxidases.

Characterization of three pyranose dehydrogenase isoforms from the litter-decomposing basidiomycete Leucoagaricus meleagris (syn. Agaricus meleagris)

Multigenicity is commonly found in fungal enzyme systems, with the purpose of functional compensation upon deficiency of one of its members or leading to enzyme isoforms with new functionalities through gene diversification. Three genes of the flavin-dependent glucose–methanol–choline (GMC) oxidoreductase pyranose dehydrogenase (AmPDH) were previously identified in the litter-degrading fungus Agaricus (Leucoagaricus) meleagris, of which only AmPDH1 was successfully expressed and characterized. The aim of this work was to study the biophysical and biochemical properties of AmPDH2 and AmPDH3 and compare them with those of AmPDH1. AmPDH1, AmPDH2 and AmPDH3 showed negligible oxygen reactivity and possess a covalently tethered FAD cofactor. All three isoforms can oxidise a range of different monosaccarides and oligosaccharides including glucose, mannose, galactose and xylose, which are the main constituent sugars of cellulose and hemicelluloses, and judging from the apparent steady-state kinetics determined for these sugars, the three isoforms do not show significant differences pertaining to their reaction with sugar substrates. They oxidize glucose both at C2 and C3 and upon prolonged reaction C2 and C3 double-oxidized glucose is obtained, confirming that the A. meleagris genes pdh2 (AY753308.1) and pdh3 (DQ117577.1) indeed encode CAZy class AA3_2 pyranose dehydrogenases. While reactivity with electron donor substrates was comparable for the three AmPDH isoforms, their kinetic properties differed significantly for the model electron acceptor substrates tested, a radical (the 2,2′-azino-bis[3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid] cation radical), a quinone (benzoquinone) and a complexed iron ion (the ferricenium ion). Thus, a possible explanation for this PDH multiplicity in A. meleagris could be that different isoforms react preferentially with structurally different electron acceptors in vivo.

Evidence for Anaerobic Dechlorination of Dechlorane Plus in Sewage Sludge.

The environmental occurrence of dechlorination moieties from the high production volume flame retardant, Dechlorane Plus (DP), has largely been documented; however, the sources have yet to be well understood. In addition, few laboratory-based studies exist which identify the cause for the occurrence of these chemicals in the environment or humans. Anaerobic dechlorination of the two DP isomers was investigated using a laboratory-simulated wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) environment where anaerobic digestion is used as part of the treatment regime. Known amounts of each isomer were added separately to sewage sludge which provided the electron-donating substrate and at prescribed time points in the incubation, a portion of the media was removed and analyzed for DP and any dechlorination metabolites. After 7 days, monohydrodechlorinated products were observed for both the syn- and anti-DP which were continued throughout the duration of our study (49 days) in an increasing manner giving a calculated formation rate of 0.48 ± 0.09 and 0.79 ± 0.12 pmols/day for syn- and anti-DP, respectively. Furthermore, we observed a second monohydrodechlorinated product only in the anti-DP isomer incubation medium. This strongly suggests that anti-DP is more susceptible to anaerobic degradation than the syn isomer. We also provide compelling evidence to the location of chlorine loss in the dechlorination DP analogues. Finally, the dechlorination DP moieties formed in our study matched the retention times and identification of those observed in surficial sediment located downstream of the WWTP.

Analysis of the activity of immobilized enzyme preparations of black horseradish using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

In a study of the interaction between an enzyme preparation of black horseradish and various inorganic substrates (kaolin, aerosil, bentonite and its modified form) by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, it has been shown that the presence of strong proton-conducting properties of the substrate accelerates the conversion of a proton-donor substrate and that electron-conducting properties affect the conversion of an electron-donor substrate. Thus, it is possible to control the peroxidase and oxidase activity of the immobilized enzyme.

The Aerobic and Anaerobic Respiratory Chain of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica: Enzymes and Energetics.

Escherichia coli contains a versatile respiratory chain that oxidizes 10 different electron donor substrates and transfers the electrons to terminal reductases or oxidases for the reduction of six different electron acceptors. Salmonella is able to use two more electron acceptors. The variation is further increased by the presence of isoenzymes for some substrates. A large number of respiratory pathways can be established by combining different electron donors and acceptors. The respiratory dehydrogenases use quinones as the electron acceptors that are oxidized by the terminal reductase and oxidases. The enzymes vary largely with respect to their composition, architecture, membrane topology, and the mode of energy conservation. Most of the energy-conserving dehydrogenases (FdnGHI, HyaABC, HybCOAB, and others) and the terminal reductases (CydAB, NarGHI, and others) form a proton potential (Δp) by a redox-loop mechanism. Two enzymes (NuoA-N and CyoABCD) couple the redox energy to proton translocation by proton pumping. A large number of dehydrogenases and terminal reductases do not conserve the redox energy in a proton potential. For most of the respiratory enzymes, the mechanism of proton potential generation is known or can be predicted. The H+/2e- ratios for most respiratory chains are in the range from 2 to 6 H+/2e-. The energetics of the individual redox reactions and the respiratory chains is described and related to the H+/2e- ratios.

River Monitoring of Mercury using a novel Molybdenum-Reducing Enzyme assay

An inhibitive assay for mercury using a molybdenum-reducing enzyme assay system from Serratia sp. Strain DRY8 is presented. Mercury showed a sigmoidal inhibition curve with a calculated IC50 using the four-parameter logistic model of 2.101 mg l-1. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) for mercury were 0.021 and 0.237 mg l-1, respectively. Other heavy metals tested at the final concentrations of 5.0 mg l-1 were not inhibitory to the assay. The enzyme requires 12-molybdophosphoric acid as an electron acceptor substrate and NADH as the electron donor substrate. The enzyme in the crude extract converted the yellowish solution into a deep blue solution with a maximum peak at 865 nm and a shoulder at 710 nm. The comparative IC50 (concentration causing 50% inhibition) data for lead for different toxicity tests show that the IC50 value for mercury was lower than the synthetic activated sludge assay and within the range of the Spirillum volutans and the dehydrogenase activity assays. A water sample from the Juru Industrial estate gave positive toxicity results with mercury far exceeding the maximum permissible concentrations allowed by the Malaysian Department of Environment. The waters from tap, a forest reserve, and a recreational area gave negative toxicity for mercury in agreement with ICP-AES results which showed the presence of heavy metals at the non-detectable levels.

Mechanism of oxygen transfer from the vanadium(V) complexes with ligands O2 2− and O3 2−

The oxygen transfer from the vanadium(V) complexes containing peroxo, oxo, and ozonide ligands to electron-donating substrates (ethylene and vinyl methyl ether) was studied in the framework of the DFT with the M06 hybrid functional. The O atom of the ozonide fragment in the O3VO(η-O2)− complex is transferred to the electron-donating substrates with lower energy expenses than the O atom of the peroxo group of the isomeric triperoxo complex, in spite of the fact that the presence of the peroxo group in the ozonide complexes stabilizes it favoring the formation of the V-Oc bond according to the data of topological analysis of the electron density in terms of the theory of atoms in molecules (AIM). The calculation results are in agreement with the experimental kinetic data indicating somewhat lower reactivity of triperoxovanadate compared to the isomeric oxygenyl complexes.

The Development Of A Specific Inhibitive Enzyme Assay For The Heavy Metal, Lead

The development of an inhibitive assay for lead using a molybdenum-reducing enzyme assay system is presented for the first time. The assay is based on the ability of lead to inhibit the molybdenum-reducing enzyme of a bacterium. The  molybdenum-reducing enzyme was assayed using 12-molybdophosphoric acid at pH 5.0 as an electron acceptor substrate and NADH as the electron donor substrate. The enzyme in the crude extract converted the yellowish solution into a deep blue solution with a maximum peak at 865 nm and a shoulder at 710 nm. Lead exhibited a sigmoidal inhibition curve. The calculated IC50 using the four-parameter logistic model for lead was 2.186 mg l-1 and the regression coefficient was 0.998. The limit of detection (LOD) for lead was 0.021 mg l-1 while the limit of quantitation (LOQ) for leady was 0.237 mg l-1, respectively. The comparative LC50, EC50 and IC50 data for lead in different toxicity tests show that the IC50 value for lead was higher than Ulva pertussae, lower than the value for immobilised urease, Daphnia magna, and rainbow trout and within the range of the papain assay.